Special Prosecutor Named in Political Donations Case

Prince George, B.C.- David Butcher QC has been appointed as a Special Prosecutor to provide legal advice to the RCMP in relation to an investigation being conducted into indirect political contributions and other potential contraventions of the BC Election Act.
A Special Prosecutor works independent from government, the Ministry of Justice and the CJB.

On March 10, 2017 Elections BC announced that its investigation into indirect political contributions and other potential contraventions of the Election Act was being referred to the RCMP, in part, to “ensure that there is no perception that Elections BC’s ability to administer the general election in a fair, neutral and impartial manner is in any way compromised”.
On March 27, 2017 the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Justice Branch, Peter Juk, QC (the ADAG), received a formal request from the RCMP that he consider the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to provide police with legal advice during the course of their investigation.
The ADAG concluded, based on the request and the information available about the alleged circumstances of the case that the appointment of a Special Prosecutor is in the public interest.
David Butcher is a senior counsel with the private bar in Vancouver. His mandate includes the following:

Offer such legal advice to the investigative agency as may be necessary in the circumstances;

Conduct an independent assessment of any Report to Crown Counsel (RCC) that may be submitted and make the charging decision he deems appropriate in the exercise of his independent discretion, in accordance with Criminal Justice Branch Policies;

Provide a written report to the ADAG, with the results of his assessment of any RCC submitted and the reasons for any decisions; and,

Conduct the prosecution and any subsequent appeal, if he determines in the exercise of his discretion that a prosecution is warranted.

A Special Prosecutor does not control, supervise or direct the investigation. It is up to the investigators, once they have received any advice, to independently decide whether and how they should conduct the investigation; who should be investigated; and what evidence to gather.

Comments

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 10:52 AM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

In my mind, the important part in this article, and the key words here are; “The ADAG concluded, based on the request and the information available about the alleged circumstances of the case that the appointment of a Special Prosecutor is in the public interest.”

This is such welcome news, as I believe a government should always act in the public (OUR) interest, and not in it’s own political and business interests!!!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 10:54 AM by Ataloss with a score of 0

Thanks BClibs . You got the money , now we’ll get the bill .

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 11:26 AM by sparrow with a score of 0

The ndp party has collected donations in the exact same manner.

The only card game the greens could have at a caucus is solitare so are not a real party in any sense of the word.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:02 PM by P Val with a score of 0

Who cares what the ndp did so long ago. Doesn’t make it okay now even though all you Clark supporters immediately go to change the topic to anything else but the real topic. There are rules. They must be followed no matter who is in power. Maybe the liberals where so obvious with it that something had to be done ? Or maybe they have finally got enough evidence to finally proceed. All I know is any time big business gets involved in politics the tax payer always in the long run

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:13 PM by sparrow with a score of 0

So long ago?

John Horgan has said that the ndp has raised money in this manner in the run up to the May 2017 election. So the findings of the special prosecutor will apply to them also. The conservatives and the greens have not participated but then again they are nothing more than also-rans.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:54 PM by ammonra with a score of 0

I’m going to be a bit picky because this irritates me. The initials “NDP” stand for New Democratic Party. The expression “NDP party” therefore stands for “New Democratic Party party.” Somewhat redundant, I think.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 7:58 PM by Hart Guy with a score of 0

Actually, many of us think that NDP stands for No Darn Progress or No Darn Permits or No Darn Plan, so for us the use of NDP party would be correct! ;-)

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 10:18 AM by Grizzly2 with a score of 0

NDP Party sounds good to me, I ain’t not picky.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 11:34 AM by PGguy1234 with a score of 0

If they are using the donations to pay for television advertising in order to get more votes, it doesn’t work on me. I don’t base my vote on what ads I see. I base my vote on how the province is being run. Libs aren’t perfect but I’ll be damned if I want to see our province revert back to a have-not province like it did the last time the NDP got their hooks into us.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 12:28 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

Here are the facts; Under the NDP, BC had the highest job growth in the country, BC also had the best credit rating… what more could a person ask for? I am willing to back up this statement of fact with sources if anyone wants.

As for this BC Liberal Government using our tax dollars to pay for their election ads, I do believe there is a lawsuit under way on that front as well!

Given this government’s losing track record in court, what are the odds they will lose this legal case as well?

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 12:46 PM by seamutt with a score of 0

BH hows your mining claim under Christies house coming along. Hey get some illegals to help you dig.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 1:04 PM by Stompin Tom with a score of 0

You obviously did not live through the last NDP disaster. Spout all the “stats” you like, it was an unmitigated disaster with many being bankrupted and/or forced to leave the province to find ANY work. The only growth I remember was for government workers, the jerkoffs us working people had to work twice as hard to pay for.

Just ask all your friends in Alberta how things are working out for them.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:03 PM by ammonra with a score of 0

So, Stompin Tom, you think all he doctors in bc are “jerkoffs” do you? After all, they are paid out of government (taxpayers’) money, aren’t they, just like other health care workers, teachers, civil servants, road construction companies, bridge builders, hospital builders and a whole host of others. Perhaps you would like to stop paying for all of them. I’m sure that would improve BC. Not!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:05 PM by ammonra with a score of 0

Just a minor fact, but the population of BC grew during the NDP term in office. More came in than left.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:10 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

Remembering where you left your false teeth, or reading glasses, would be an impressive accomplishment. Don’t expect us to trust in an old man’s personal memory of political events that happened nearly 20 years ago.

Let there be no mistake about it; this government is NOT a Liberal government, rather it is Conservative, and we all know the old adage in Canadian political lore; “Tory times are tough times”!!!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:06 PM by slinky with a score of 0

Funny, BC did HAVE a great economy going into the NDP reign, what was it like in the LAST four years. Takes time for policies to work their way down to affecting the working class. Doesn’t happen overnight.

After the 8th straight NDP deficit budget the credit rating was downgraded and we had a net emigration from BC. Its only saving grace near the end of the 90s during our 14 percent unemployment was immigration from other countries boosting population numbers.

The Libs inherited a downgraded credit rating and over 14 percent unemployment in the northern region and turned that around to where we now have the highest credit rating once again and highest job growth numbers in Canada. I guess yes this means that the NDP have something to destroy again, yeehaw

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:31 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

You deflect from the current issue all you want slinky by bring up false “ancient history”. The current situation is; the BC Attorney General’s office, and the RCMP, finds the situation warrants the assignment of a “Special Prosecutor” to provide police with legal advice during the course of their investigation.

This is NOT a good sign if you are in the BC Liberal, or a supporter of the BC Liberals… I can see where this is heading and Karma is a b*tch! Can’t wait for this investigation to be completed, and I am hoping for a Dean Del Mastro ending.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:37 PM by sparrow with a score of 0

From today’s G&M

“The New Democrats have also launched a review of its own donor records and have said the party has returned at least two indirect donations.”

This is NOT a good sign if you are in the BC ndp, or a supporter of the BC ndp

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:46 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

BC NDP had to return two indirect donations, totaling $10,000. LOL… the BC Liberals have already returned over $93,000 in donations… and that is probably only the tip of a donations scandal iceberg!!!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:59 PM by sparrow with a score of 0

Key phrases from quoted article” Better put on your reading glasses.

“launched a review” What stage is the review at? Just beginning? Halfway?

” at least two” What is the final number going to be when all is said and done?

So the amount of money returned so far is immaterial as reviews have not been completed. In addition the final totals do not matter b/c if one is wrong then so is the other.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 4:50 PM by slinky with a score of 0

Having to return donations means they were accepting credit cards the same way the Liberals were. Whether you return two or ten is immaterial, it was still contrary to the Elections Act

It is curious why BH thinks a reply to their post is “a deflection” to the current topic? Nothing as false as only using the first 5 years of the NDP term as a ruler for the entire 10 years because you know it got bad in the end. Must be the same reasoning that a returned NDP donation is somehow less of a concern than a returned Liberal one because the “total” is less.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 4:58 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

What is being investigated by the RCMP here, is potentially “criminal” in nature. There is legal precedence set for the “material value”, or “worth” in the proceeds of crime. For example; why else would there be two classifications for theft based on material value: Theft OVER $5,000 and theft UNDER $5,000.

Say good night slinky!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:08 PM by Grizzly2 with a score of 0

Facts! Joke of the day, LOL

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:10 PM by Grizzly2 with a score of 0

Sorry had to laugh. All I read is, here are the facts, then I noted the poster,didn’t read the rest, couldn’t help myself, LOL

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:24 PM by slinky with a score of 0

Donations are not “theft” but thanks for playing

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:41 PM by slinky with a score of 0

News 1130 has a quote from the NDP with more indirect donations:

“Earlier this month, an NDP spokesman said the party found two errors amounting to less than $9,000 when in reviewed donations over four years, while four other errors were being repaid or reviewed.”

Yet they quoted to a globalnews reporter:

“A spokeswoman for the New Democrats said Thursday the party updated its donation error total to $12,000 after reporting earlier this month that two errors amounting to less than $9,000 were found after reviewing contributions over four years.”

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 4:10 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

“Criminal” donation allegations just the latest high-stakes political investigation within the Federal Serious and Organized Crime section. It’s been only one week since British Columbia’s largely unregulated political donations — which Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher told Metro amounts to a “system of legalized bribery” — became part of the RCMP’s caseload last Friday.
But the national force’s “criminal investigation” into lobbyists’ alleged “cash-for-access” to BC Liberal government ministers is already rolling along, it appears.

Several sources told Metro the RCMP’s Sensitive Investigations Unit was in contact with them this week to request any information related to the allegations. Oh-oh, this sounds VERY Serious!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 12:17 PM by Fate with a score of 0

Took Mr. Butcher almost three years to recommend one charge in the “quick wins” scandal. I dont think the BCLibs have to worry about this any time soon.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:36 PM by oldman1 with a score of 0

No doubt in my mind. Christy and her clowns are a Conservative party. Privatize and sell everything that the province owns at garage sale prices.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 2:43 PM by dow7501 with a score of 0

Top tax rate 54%, kicked in at 60,000. Luxury tax on vehicles over $33,000. On and friggin On. You idiots who think the NDP were benign need a good smack. Job growth BH? your huffing glue. I lived and breathed the 90’s. You are a serious idiot BH.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:08 PM by Ataloss with a score of 0

As a person that has counselled repeatedly a person to commit suicide online . You should reconsider whom is an idiot Dow . A good smack ? Now conselling mass violence ? You’ve got a problem and it ain’t the NDP .

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:12 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

More personal memories, with out a shred of supporting evidence.

Why I remember when I was just a kid, had to walk six miles to school, it was uphill both ways there and back. Yup… most of the time we had make that trek in blinding snowstorms, even during the summer… as recall. Yup, those were the days, and that’s the truth, I swear that was is how I remember it was!

Kids these days don’t know how hard it was in our day, I remember our family used to live in a big cardboard box, on the side of the road… tough times back then they wre, I remember the Tories being in government back then as well… not surprised at all! “Tory times are tough times”!!!

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 5:11 PM by oldman1 with a score of 0

dow 7501— You are forgetting the average income in 1990 was 29000 dollars and the average car price was 16000.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 5:43 PM by dow7501 with a score of 0

What was your point oldman1? We bought our first new truck in 2003 which cost 59,000 before taxes and fees. Crew cab short box 3/4 ton 4×4. 75,000 plus now for the same truck.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 5:46 PM by slinky with a score of 0

Here is your “evidence” BH

1999 BC tax payable on “taxable income”
ht tp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/prioryear/t1/1999/5010-tc/5010-tc-99e.pdf
That on top of the 29 percent payable to the feds on amounts over 59k
ht tp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/prioryear/t1/1999/5000-s1/5000-s1-99e.pdf

Surprised Dow remembered the old BC tax rates as close as he did. 49.5 percent was high, no wonder people left in droves.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 5:57 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT #1: The BC Liberals claim that thousands of people left BC in the 1990s under the NDP government because there were no jobs is a Liberal fabrication, its fake made up news!

CBC’s Reality Check team started digging deeper into the stats, all the way back to 1991 — the year the NDP took office — they found people were flooding into B.C. from other provinces. The trend continued for most of the NDP years in power. In fact so many Canadians came to B.C. during the NDP years, it more than compensated for a drain that began in 1997. During the NDP decade from 1991 to 2001 B.C. had a net gain of 126,000 people.

According to Statistics Canada, that’s double number of people who moved to B.C. during the last decade of BC Liberal government. The figures show under the Liberals from 2001 to 2012, B.C. had a net gain of only 54,510 from other provinces.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:14 PM by slinky with a score of 0

What was the “net gain” in 1997-2000? Wasn’t – there was a “net loss”

It has already been pointed out to you but you keep coming back with this article.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:19 PM by slinky with a score of 0

Just because they were riding high in the first term because of what they inherited from the Socreds it only took them 6 years to turn that around and start a net drain and loss of credit ratings and turned BC into the 10th province in everything. Best thing that happened for BC was the turf in 2001

History doesn’t repeat itself, people (1st or BH) repeat history

Dippers gotta hate

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:03 PM by Flintlock with a score of 0

No Dow7501 you are the idiot that needs the smack are you on glue. You don’t get it.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:09 PM by dow7501 with a score of 0

Get what dingus? Reality?

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 3:32 PM by Flintlock with a score of 0

Dump7501 you said get what. Goof

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 6:37 PM by PrinceGeorge with a score of 0

BH, you are telling me that I lived during the B.C. nineties completely oblivious to what was going on! It ain’t working! I know exactly what made the province slip from #1 best province in the country to dead last #10 and have not status. In fact I personally suffered a loss of funds when the province went down the tube. If everything was as perfect and rosy as you are trying to persuade us why was your party dumped by the voters so soundly that it had only two (2) MLAs in the Legislature? One was Joy McPhail and the other one has moved on to Ottawa after some scandal in B.C.

Your preaching is based on manufactured opinions. The only people that were flooding into B.C. we’re welfare recipients from the Maritimes who had discovered how easy it was to collect cheques from there and from here at the same time!

OMG.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 10:10 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 10:00 AM by PrinceGeorge with a score of 0

Thought for you to ponder: During the decade of NDP rule the provincial debt was doubled.

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 10:21 AM by Grizzly2 with a score of 0

Don’t need links, facts are “We lived it, we remember it”. Try to understand truth when you see it, you’ll go a long way.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 7:14 PM by oldman1 with a score of 0

Slinky– I said 1990 16000 for a car. My point is if you were only making 29000 a year you did not pay 54% tax because you were not making 60,000. I also know what a truck cost in 2003. Not all trucks were 75,000. 2003 GMC diesel 2500 x cab 4×4 52,000.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 7:32 PM by oldman1 with a score of 0

I can see from some of comments that some people are very old because they say very old people can only remember what has happened in the past. Just to bad they can not remember what is going today in this province.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 8:27 PM by PrinceGeorge with a score of 0

If one does not remember the past and learn from it history will repeat itself! It is not something too many people want to happen. Not everybody disapproves 100% of what has been going on in the province, especially when it could get a lot worse if we do not remember that once burned one would not like to get burned again.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 9:39 PM by X-it with a score of 0

What a disaster it was with the NDP in BC. Alberta is now having the same out come as we went through. Thank goodness Alberta is a reminder to all of us what can happen with one bad vote.

Posted on Thursday, March 30, 2017 @ 10:38 PM by BeingHuman with a score of 0

What a disaster it is NOW in BC with this Lib-Con government! A BC Liberal government that managed to match, in just 16 years, the total amount of debt our province accumulated over 130 years. Aa BC Liberal government that has made our province the worst place for a child to live in Canada; draconian child labour laws that see children as young as 12 years old working for minimum wage. 43 percent of youth workers have reported injuries on the job. A handful of children now on permanent disability. WorkSafe paying out $1.1 million in disability claims to children. A high number of children dropping out of school due to work schedules. Our province now has the highest child poverty rate in the country! The worst place in Canada for children to live where children in BC government care deaths jumped from 72 in 2008 to 120 last year, while critical injuries skyrocketed from 120 to 741.

A BC Liberal government that, the Forest Practices Board confirms, has no idea what resources our province has, or how to manage them. A government has mismanaged our mining industry to the point where BC has the worst unsecured environmental liability for mine site clean-up costs in Canada. We have the longest wait times in Canada for MRI image testing in BC. 30,000 forestry jobs disappeared, over 100 sawmills closed, unemployment rate up here in the north now approaching 13%. I could go on, and on, and on… but I think we get the point. This BC Liberal government has been a complete disaster for BC!!!

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 3:44 AM by dow7501 with a score of 0

blow it out your ass BH. the more you post, the more vote Libral. Keep it coming turd.

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 8:00 AM by PrinceGeorge with a score of 0

BTW, there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom! Some people have more degrees than a thermometer but they are neither smart nor wise! Pity, I say!

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 7:57 AM by PrinceGeorge with a score of 0

Please go on and on! Everybody just loves to get up in the morning to have a nice day of visiting 250News and then predictably run into your pessimistic rants!

If I were you I would have pulled up stakes a long time ago and left this horrific mess of a province for greener pastures! Why are you continuing to torture yourself this way? People can move when things become so bad that their entire life and health are in jeopardy!

We know a few people who have applied for immigration to Canada, especially to B.C.! Those who are anxiously waiting will more than make up for the few who pull the pin and hit the road for paradise elsewhere!

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 7:24 AM by Flintlock with a score of 0